Documentation planning for the U. S. health care system

From The Critics

Reviewer: Nancy Whitten Zinn, MA, MSLS(University of California San Francisco Medical School)
Description: In this book, Joan Krizack and her knowledgeable contributors have presented a guide to the nature and organization of the U.S. health care system for archivists and librarians in the health care fields responsible for collecting records to document these important activities.
Purpose: The collection of original, modern records essential for research (historical, sociological, and other types) in the health care field is a relatively new but rapidly growing field. Until now, there was no single source for this information. However, this analysis of the background and functions of such institutions provides the context for planning documentation, necessary for the identification and selection of apposite records, which also help prevent the needless acquisition or storage of unessential records.
Audience: The book is designed specifically for those individuals—archivists and librarians—who bear the responsibility for such activities. It is also very useful for those needing a functional overview of components of U.S. health care. In addition to chapters on the theory and execution of documentation planning, it contains those covering major segments of the U.S. health care community: agencies and foundations, research organizations, educational institutions, professional and voluntary associations, and health industries.
Features: There are two very useful appendixes: "Selected Landmarks in History of Health Care in the U.S.," and "Health-Related Discipline History Centers." The book contains black-and-white photographs illustrative of those which might be found in such records; it is physically attractive, and boasts a handsome, readable typeface. A bibliography follows each chapter; the references are to the most recent literature, and the annotations are informative.
Assessment: A relatively new concept in the archives field, documentation planning offers a significant methodology for identifying and selecting records that will best provide materials informing the activities of health care in the U.S. for future research. This work is the first to provide information as a guide for the health care field, and it provides the information in a clear and compact fashion, valuable especially for those with specific responsibilities for record analysis and collection, but useful for others in the health information field as well.

Nancy Whitten Zinn

In this book, Joan Krizack and her knowledgeable contributors have presented a guide to the nature and organization of the U.S. health care system for archivists and librarians in the health care fields responsible for collecting records to document these important activities. The collection of original, modern records essential for research (historical, sociological, and other types) in the health care field is a relatively new but rapidly growing field. Until now, there was no single source for this information. However, this analysis of the background and functions of such institutions provides the context for planning documentation, necessary for the identification and selection of apposite records, which also help prevent the needless acquisition or storage of unessential records. The book is designed specifically for those individuals--archivists and librarians--who bear the responsibility for such activities. It is also very useful for those needing a functional overview of components of U.S. health care. In addition to chapters on the theory and execution of documentation planning, it contains those covering major segments of the U.S. health care community: agencies and foundations, research organizations, educational institutions, professional and voluntary associations, and health industries. There are two very useful appendixes: ""Selected Landmarks in History of Health Care in the U.S.,"" and ""Health-Related Discipline History Centers."" The book contains black-and-white photographs illustrative of those which might be found in such records; it is physically attractive, and boasts a handsome, readable typeface. A bibliography follows each chapter; the references are to themost recent literature, and the annotations are informative. A relatively new concept in the archives field, documentation planning offers a significant methodology for identifying and selecting records that will best provide materials informing the activities of health care in the U.S. for future research. This work is the first to provide information as a guide for the health care field, and it provides the information in a clear and compact fashion, valuable especially for those with specific responsibilities for record analysis and collection, but useful for others in the health information field as well.

Booknews

Provides the background information necessary for archivists who deal with health care systems records to devise appropriate procedures, including a systematic method for devising institutional documentation plans (strategic plans that specify which materials should be preserved). Provides as an example a portion of the documentation plan devised for Children's Hospital, Boston, where Krizack is hospital archivist. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

3 Stars from Doody